Chapter 1 - Three Orders
Charlotte Beaumont's palm cracked across Leila's face before anyone in the boutique could move.
The young sales associate staggered into a glass display case. A crystal perfume bottle rattled against the shelf.
"I told you to bring the sapphire bag," Charlotte snapped. "Not stand there arguing with me."
Leila's cheek turned red. "Mrs. Beaumont, that piece is reserved. I can't release it without authorization."
"Do you know who I am?"
A woman near the fitting salon answered before Leila could.
"She knows exactly who you are."
Charlotte turned.
Amina Diallo stood beside a rack of silk coats, one hand resting on the handle of a black leather bag. She was tall, composed, and dressed in a cream suit with no visible logo anywhere on it.
Charlotte looked her up and down. "Excuse me?"
"You heard her," Amina said. "The bag is reserved. And you hit an employee because she followed policy."
Antoine Beaumont, Charlotte's husband, appeared from the private salon. His face tightened the instant he saw Amina.
"Charlotte," he said quietly. "Stop."
That only made her angrier.
"No. I'm tired of being embarrassed in a store with my own name on the windows."
She stepped toward Amina.
"And you need to learn when to stay out of other people's business."
Amina didn't move.
Charlotte raised her hand again.
Antoine caught her wrist.
"Don't."
For the first time, Charlotte noticed that every senior employee had gone rigid.
Not because of her.
Because of Amina.
Amina took out her phone.
She made one call.
"Close the accounts," she said.
A pause.
"Launch the audit."
Another pause.
Then she looked directly at Antoine.
"Close the boutique."
The lights over the main display cases clicked off.
The front doors locked automatically.
Two managers came out of the back office and stood straighter as Amina passed.
Charlotte stared at them. "What is happening?"
Antoine didn't answer her.
His face had lost all color.
Amina stopped beside Leila and asked, "Are you hurt?"
Leila swallowed. "I'm okay."
"No," Amina said. "You're not. But you will be heard."
Charlotte grabbed Antoine's sleeve.
"Who is she?"
Antoine looked at his wife as though she had just set fire to the building.
"The person," he whispered, "who can call every Beaumont loan by morning."
Then Amina turned back from the locked doors.
"And I'm not here because of the slap," she said.
May you like
She placed a thin folder on the counter.
"I'm here because twenty-eight million euros disappeared from your company in eleven months.
